Friday evening … Phew!! … Some time to catch my breath and catch up with Simplicity Blogging!!What a week so far … but come on … it keeps me awake and as a friend once said 'sleep is over rated.'
Monday – Two hour return train journey to London for 3 hour conference.
Tuesday – Drove 300 mile return journey to Ipswich (rain for whole of both journeys) for 4 hour workshop. Home midnight.
Wednesday - Up at 6 am to catch 7 am train to London for all day workshop home at 7 pm.
Thursday - Up at 6am to drive 200 mile return journey to Cambridge (rain for whole of both journeys) for all day workshop - home at 7 pm.
Friday - Drove 180 mile return journey to see Mum!
Tomorrow (Saturday) - Train journey to London for 4 hour workshop.
Sunday - A rest.
Monday - Delivering 3 hour workshop to 120 health professionals in Nottingham.
Wednesday – Delivering 3 hour customer care workshop in Kent – another 400 mile return drive.
Then it slows down a bit …
This may look like a hectic schedule and I guess it is.
BUT .... compared to going in to the same office everyday in the National Health Service like an automaton for my 9-5 Monday – Friday boring existence, this is just BRILLIANT.
Unless things go pear shaped I never want to have a job of that type again. The thought of ever moving away from my self-employment and freelance independence fills me with dread.
One of the reasons I work hard is to try and make sure I never have to go back to the ‘alleged’ security of a contract of employment. 'Security' can be another word for imprisonment.
Three years into self-employment this feels like hard work but it is so much more rewarding and it is freedom.
I feel like an 'adult' – unlike the 'child' in the restricted, controlling environment of NHS management where I spent 35 years unaware of what freedom at work really means.
Roll on next week! And the Next 50 years! Life is great!
And most of all thank you to my darling Annie for putting up with me this week and keeping me sane (I think).
I promise I'll slow down when I'm 95 honey!
7 comments:
You are an inspiration to others but keep reading your old posts and remain an inspiration to yourself. You have clearly chosen the right path. Your posts ooze passion, something, at least in my experience, that cannot be contrived.
Thanks David for your kind comments. Authenticity is something no one can pretend. I always try to say it as I feel it. I realise we all have differing levels of passion and enthusiasm for our work. My late beloved Dad always told me we get nothing for nothing and that has guided me for my 39 years of full time work. I take the view that there is little point putting in half of what you are capable of – what a waste that is. Thanks again David – where are you based?
I am in San Antonio, Texas for the past five years.
That's so great, Trevor! I love my current job, but I'm already looking forward to opening my own consulting shop in about 6 years. Self-employment sounds pretty fantastic.
Keep it up! Cheers!
Thanks David I hope you keep visiting Simplicity Blog – and tell your friends of course - I greatly value your feedback. I have responded to every individual comment (around 1200) on Simplicity Blog since I started the Blog.
Dan - self-employment is, I think, all about mindset. It has its risks – particularly if one has been used to the comfort blanket of a regular job where the salary was guaranteed. I had that situation for 35 years and it felt like a big jump into the unknown to some degree. But I am thrilled I made that jump. My business planning is about a month in advance. I have no idea if I will have work in two months time and that is like hanging – it concentrates the mind.
The motivation for me is to work like hell to prevent the need to ever go back to a contract job.
I just love being my own boss - if I worried too much about the future I probably would not enjoy self employment quite so much but hey Dan - I have always been a glass half full type :-)
Hi Trevor
Good for you for taking the plunge into independence. I agree with David, your passion and optimism is great to see.
Every day I become more and more impatient with the bureaucracy and suppression of initiative that often go with working in a organisation, and more and more attracted to the self-employment route and living by the quality of my own work.
I know there would be pressure and stress at times but it would be MY pressure and stress rather than being dumped from the great heights of senior management!
Thanks for your example and keep up the good work!
Hi tomjam - hope you are well.
I recognise those feelings. A friend told me 9 months before I actually left the NHS that I had already left emotionally and I would catch up physically and make the big step. He was right. You will know when the time is right for you. The risks are greater in self employment but the emotional rewards are far higher for me. You are right too about the ‘imposed’ stress fro on high versus the stress one is in control of through one’s own efforts.
Good luck with your decision and keep me in the loop on progress.
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